Author's Notes: Who saw "Blood Moon Ball"?! That was almost 100% pure Starco! Do you know what the street value of that stuff is? Now I need more! C'mon Daron, I need my medicine!

Comments and constructive criticism are always welcomed.


Starfall by GolfAlphaMike

Chapter 9: Path


Marco pulled into a nearby coffee shop. He ran in and grabbed a napkin and a pen from the cash register. He had to write it down.

Marco repeated each word as he wrote. "Hey. Earth. Turd. The. Bear. Leads. North."

"Um, can I take your order?"

Marco looked up at the cashier. "Oh. Uh, yeah..."

After ordering, Marco sat at an empty table. He laid the napkin out and stared at the words. He knew what the first three words meant. Pony Head was the only one who ever called him that.

Was it just a dream? Does he want this to be a message so much that he's trying to convince himself of it? But if his mind would make up a message, it would be from Star, not Pony Head. Marco thought back to his dream. It was definitely not Star's voice, which e'd recognize anywhere. It could have been Pony Head he supposed. Marco allowed his train of thought continue down this track. "So a message for me from Pony Head, in a dream, probably about Star. Hey, why not?" he thought.

Marco's thought train continued down the track to the last four words. He was mumbling to himself. "Am I supposed to go north? No, I can't just go north. The message doesn't say 'The bear goes north.' It says 'leads'. I'm supposed to follow a bear north? I can't just follow a bear north. Bear sightings are incredibly rare around here. Using California flags as a guide is right out. They're everywhere."

After a few moments of thinking, Marco heard a commotion outside. He went to check and stuffed the napkin in his pocket as he stood and walked.

When he got outside the front door he found Lars and a group of others were accosting a man behind wheel of a huge red Chevy truck that was parked in the lot. They were hurling disgusting homophobic epithets and the driver looked scared.

"Leave him alone Lars!" Marco shouted.

"Well, well, well! If it isn't the local nut case! Is this your boyfriend?" Lars laughed. "Maybe you finally moved on from your imaginary girlfriend!"

Somehow word had gotten out about his 'delusion' a while ago, but Marco was used to the talking behind his back. "That's real brave of you to say from way over there! Why don't you come closer and say that?!" Marco gestured for the bully to approach him.

"Ha! There's five of us and only one of you!" Lars responded.

"Yeah, it does seem unfair... to you!" Marco took a fighting stance. It had been a while since he last had a good fight. Lars and his gang weren't the kind of monsters he used to fight alongside Star, but sometimes you just have to lower your standards and fight the opponents you're given. Marco thought to himself, "I am going to enjoy this."

Lars and his gang looked suddenly very scared. They ran off without a word.

"Huh." Marco said disappointed. Lars was a coward, but usually it took until punches were actually thrown for him to turn tail and run.

"Are you alright?" Marco said to the driver.

"Yeah, are you okay, Hon?!" said a deep, masculine voice from above and behind Marco's head.

Marco turned to see a man behind him. Immensely tall, massive, and very strong looking. He was dressed in outdoorsman gear. An orange plaid flannel shirt with woodland pattern pants and tan work boots. Below his folded sleeves, dark hair covered his forearms. More hair poked from his shirt collar. A knit cap and full beard completed the look.

"So much for my trying to be intimidating. Oh well..." Marco thought to himself.

The driver said, "I'm okay. I don't think they'll be back. Not with people willing to fight them." The driver looked at Marco. "Thank you for helping."

"It's was nothing. I'm just glad everyone is okay." Marco replied then turned to the huge man. "After all, you were the one who actually scared them off."

"No, no. It was something. Thank you." He smiled. "This is my husband, Mark, and I'm Ben." He said as he held out his hand.

Marco took it and shook. "Marco." He waved to Mark.

"Hey." Mark waved in return.

"Marco? Coincidence!" Ben said smiling.

Marco smiled, then he and the huge man returned inside.

"Order for... Marcia?" came a call from the counter.

"Every time." muttered Marco as he collected his coffee. "Marco?" he said to the barista

The barista looked again at the writing on the paper cup. "Oops, yeah. Sorry." he said as he handed Marco the cup.

"Heh. That's okay."

Ben asked Marco, "Did you know those guys?"

"Yeah. Just some losers. I went to high school with them."

"Were you actually going to fight them all?"

"I was."

"That's either the bravest thing I've heard in a while or the craziest. I might not have been much help. Mark thinks I'm a little too gentle."

"Well, I don't know if you overheard, I'm totally cray." Marco said with a smile. "By the way, that's some truck. What kind is it?"

"Everyone loves our baby. It's an '04 Kodiak."

"Of course it is." thought Marco. "Wow. It still looks great. Like new." he said.

"Hey, thanks! We do take good care of her."

"Order for... Bjorn?" came a call from the counter.

The huge man collected his order. "Ben." he said to the barista

"Oops, yeah. Sorry." the barista apologized. "Stop writing the names like a preschooler!" he scolded the cashier.

"Are you going hunting?" Marco asked.

Ben laughed. "I can see why you would think that. But, no. We're headed to Seattle for a coffee festival."

"Ah. I'm headed north today too, so I guess I might see you on the road."

"I guess we might. It's a long drive, so we better get going. Thanks again, Marcia!" Ben said with a smile.

Marco chuckled. "No problem. See you around, Bjorn."

Ben entered the huge red truck and it began to pull out of the lot. Marco pulled the napkin from his pocket and looked at the message once more.

Marco was now certain his dream was a message. And this was as obvious a sign as he was ever going to get. Whatever forces at work might have been more subtle by pointing using a giant neon arrow sign that said 'Follow' in flashing letters.

There wasn't time to go home to prepare or pack. Marco only had whatever he left the house with and the clothes on his back. But this was it. He didn't even care about his job. He was going to find a way to Star even if it kills him.

He stuffed the napkin back into his pocket, chugged his coffee, and coughed violently. The drink was very hot. "Road trip." he said hoarsely.


The truck took the expected route towards Seattle and Marco didn't have any trouble following. Thanks to the truck's size and color, he was able to keep his distance. He didn't want to spook them. When getting gas, he tried to avoid the same stations as them.

Marco called the congressman's office he was working at and told them a personal matter had come up and he didn't know when he would be able to come back. They told him that they needed him, and if he couldn't tell them when he would be available, they would have to let him go. Marco didn't care.

It was getting dark when the truck pulled into a Travelodge in Redding. They were stopping for the night, so Marco would be doing the same. He parked in the back of the lot around the corner from the truck. He waited what he felt was enough time to allow Ben and Mark to check in then went into the lobby.

He decided to call his parents to let them know he would not be coming home for a while. He was thankful he was sent to voicemail. His message was short and vague.

Though he had been riding all day, Marco had trouble getting to sleep. His mind was filled with thoughts. Was this crazy? Was he on a wild goose chase? He had left on a spur of the moment feeling.

What was Star doing now? Was she expecting him?

It would be late when he fell asleep.


Marco woke and looked at the clock. 8:47? It wasn't too late. He had to check out at 11:00. He didn't have any luggage to gather so he had time. He closed his eyes again. Then they popped open. A feeling of dread came over him. He grabbed the room key and ran from his room.

Searching the lot for the red truck revealed it was gone. Marco was deflated. That was his lead. Should he get on the road now? He knew that they were heading to Seattle. If he sped, he might be able to catch up. But then he realized that they could be hours ahead. They could have taken a detour. They might have even turned around. He was supposed to let the bear lead him north. This part of his journey was ended.

What should he do now? He needed to eat and think about the next steps.

After checking out Marco sat on his motorcycle, looked around and saw it. Time for a meal at Black Bear Diner.


Marco sat, ate, and stared out the window. He kept lookout for anything bear related.

He was almost through with his meal when he saw it. Not the truck from earlier, but it was just as good.

The classic car was very out of place in Redding, California. It was painted a deep navy blue. On the side was the word 'Chicago' in block capital letters. A giant stylized orange letter 'C' was on the passenger door.

Marco quickly took two $20 bills from his wallet and put them on the table. He called out to his server as he left. "Money's on the table! Big tip! Sorry!"

He quickly got on his motorcycle, put on his helmet, and started the bike. He had to hurry to get on the road. He burned out of the parking lot and merged back onto the highway.

He passed vehicles aggressively, riding the slots at dangerous speeds. He caught up to the car quickly and slowed as he approached. He followed closely.

The car had Illinois plates. Bumper stickers with sayings like "There's Always Next Year" and "Everybody Needs a Scapegoat" covered the rear. Marco was close enough to get a glance of the driver. He was wearing a cap. It was a different blue than the car and had a circular red letter 'C' logo. It appeared that the driver wasn't just a football fan.

The car wasn't taking the interstate north. Marco was glad to have eaten because he would be on the road for a while longer. He slowed down and allowed the car to lead.


Marco followed the Chicago sports fan for hours. It was almost like the car knew that it was leading him somewhere. His thoughts wandered.

Was Star leading him to her with magic? This trip didn't seem accidental. He had a feeling that he was doing exactly what he needed to do.

He wondered if Star would be happy to see him. Would he even be allowed near her? She was royalty and he wasn't. Had she assumed the throne? Was that why she didn't return? Was she married? Five years had separated them. Marco pushed such thoughts aside. He was going to find her. He would deal with whatever situation he found when he did.

As he passed an intersection, Marco's thoughts were interrupted when he saw a creature at the edge of the woods off to the side of the road. Marco had seen monsters before. He had fought monsters. But this one was the strangest yet.

Conjoined bodies covered with brown fur. How many heads? Seven? Eight? Bear heads! They stuck out from the creature in odd places.

The creature was so attention grabbing, that Marco didn't realize he was riding off the shoulder.

The change in the surface alerted Marco. The bike shook violently as it rolled over rocks and debris. Marco was able to steer the bike back onto the shoulder and stop, but he realized he now had two problems. One, he had a flat. And two, he was alone with a monstrous cryptid that may or may not be aggressive.

"Keep calm. Don't make any sudden moves." Marco told himself.

Slowly, he lowered the stand and dismounted the bike. Keeping his hands in view, he stood with the bike between him and the creature. All of its heads were looking at him silently. Marco did what came naturally to try and ease the tension. He smiled.

The many bear heads loudly roared in unison. It was like a chorus. Marco realized what he had done. Showing teeth can be a sign of aggression in nature. He pressed his lips together tightly. The symphony of roars ceased. Marco and the creature were still and silent for a long moment.

With a final grunt, the creature turned revealing a final head and body on what could be called its back. The beast crouched and placed its paws on the ground. The last body was positioned like a dying roach with its limbs in the air. The creature then bounded into the woods and disappeared.

Marco breathed a sigh of relief. He had been following bears since yesterday, and If any bear needed to be followed, it was that one. But he couldn't hope to keep up with it.

He took a moment to examine the bike. The rear tire had been punctured by a nail. He didn't think it could be fixed by him out here. He needed a repair shop.

The sign at the intersection indicated a town in that direction. The sign was poorly maintained and the mile count had been lost. Marco hoped it wouldn't be too far. Maybe someone there has answers about the monster bear.


continuará


Author's Notes: For non-American readers: The clues about bears in this chapter relied on a bit of American cultural knowledge. The number of clues and coincidences in this chapter may strike you as excessive. And you'd be right. But Star's magic is capable of conjuring seemingly living beings, so who's to say that didn't happen again here.

1. The California state flag prominently features a grizzly bear.

2. In male bisexual and gay culture, a "bear" is a often a larger, hairier man who projects an image of rugged masculinity.

2. The Chevrolet Kodiak is a line of medium duty trucks produced from 1980 to 2009. Aftermarket companies customize them as pickup trucks and commercial trucks for consumers.

3. "Gentle Ben" is a 1965 children's novel by Walt Morey about the friendship between a boy named Mark and a bear named Ben. The story provided the basis for a popular late 1960s U.S. television series.

4. Bjorn: From an Old Norse byname meaning "bear".

5. Travelodge is a motel chain in the United States known for its mascot "Sleepy Bear", a half awake teddy bear wearing a sleeping cap, a robe, and slippers. The Travelodge brand name is used in several countries by different companies.

6. Black Bear Diner is a restaurant chain in the western United States which serves homestyle and "old-fashioned" comfort foods. By sheer coincidence, the company is based in Redding, California.

7. The colors and 'C' logo painted on the classic car refer to the The Chicago Bears, a National (American) Football League team. This car would be considered very out of place in Redding, California which is about 2,100 miles (about 3,400 km) from Chicago, Illinois.

8. The bumper stickers on the rear of the classic car and design of the driver's hat refer to The Chicago Cubs, a Major League Baseball team.

9. The eight headed, three bodied bear monster... Oh yeah. We're going there.